Patrick Dempsey wants to buy Tully's Coffee

Patrick Dempsey, the actor who plays Dr. Derek Shepherd on “Grey’s Anatomy,” is leading a group that hopes to purchase Tully’s Coffee -- a coffee shop chain based in Seattle.

Tully’s filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in October, due to cash flow problems. Since then, the company has closed some of its unprofitable locations and reduced overhead.

Dempsey couched his bid as a way to save jobs in the Seattle area.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to save hundreds of jobs, give back to Seattle and become a larger part of the economic growth and fabric of the community,” he said in a statement. “I’ve always loved this city, and with the purchase of Tully’s Coffee, I plan to spend a lot of time in Seattle and at the stores connecting with the community and growing the Tully’s brand.”

“It looks like Seattle may be my home away from home in the very near future,” he added.

Tully’s was founded in 1992 and has 46 stores in Washington and California, as well as 58 licensed locations throughout the U.S.

Dempsey may have some competition when it comes to purchasing the company, however. Early in December, Baristas Coffee Co. made an offer of $10.4 million to purchase Tully’s, according to Nation's Restaurant News.

Baristas has been called the “Hooters of coffee” because it hires scantily clad women to pour coffee drinks, but Baristas CEO Barry Henthorn said if he were to take over Tully’s he would not try to remake it in his other chain’s image.

“Tully’s is an icon in Seattle,” he told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. “Tully’s will remain Tully’s.”